Cumnor Hill House

Updated 1 April 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection, we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of 3 inspectors and 2 Experts by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Cumnor Hill House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Cumnor Hill House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We looked at notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. This ensured we were addressing any areas of concern. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 16 people who used the service and 3 relatives. Some people living in the home could not verbally give us feedback. As such we looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. We further received feedback from 6 relatives. We received feedback from 3 healthcare professionals. We looked at 10 people's care records and 9 medicine administration records (MAR). We spoke with the head of quality and risk, registered manager, deputy manager and 14 members of staff including nurses, carers, the chef and domestic staff. We reviewed a range of records relating to people's care and the way the service was managed. These included staff training records, 6 staff recruitment files, quality assurance audits, incidents and accidents reports, complaints records, and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 1 April 2023

About the service

Cumnor Hill House is a purpose-built residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 75 people. The home is spread across 3 floors each of which has separate adapted facilities. One of the wings specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 55 people using the service.

There had been changes in providers since our last inspection, however, the service management and staff had remained the same.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe living at Cumnor Hill House. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. Staffing levels had improved, and the home was using less agency staff. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. The provider continued to recruit staff using initiatives such as overseas recruitment. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People and relatives told us staff were caring. Staff did all they could to promote people’s independence and we saw examples of this. People received personalised care, tailored to their individual needs and preferences, and staff supported people and their relatives to be involved with decisions relating to their care. People's privacy and dignity was upheld through the approaches taken by staff as well as in relation to the care environment, as people each had access to their own bedrooms with ensuite bathroom facilities.

People had a pleasant well-presented dining experience which offered a variety of appetising food choices available at times that suited people’s preferences. The menu was overseen, and food prepared by an enthusiastic catering team who always looked at continuously improving people’s dining experience. Staff supported people to maintain food and fluid intakes. People’s feedback on food had been used to improve the dining experience.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had a particularly good understanding of when the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should be applied.

People had opportunities to participate in meaningful activities and we saw evidence people were involved in choosing activities and following their hobbies.

The home was well-led by a registered manager who was committed to improving people’s quality of life. There was a clear management structure in place and a group of staff who worked well as a team. The provider had clear oversight of the service and effective quality assurance systems in place that they used to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Staff worked well with external social and health care professionals.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was requires improvement, published on 8 June 2022.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.